Diego Simeone claims he was not aware Manchester United fans pelted him with drinks after Atletico Madrid’s win at Old Trafford, but the fans have nevertheless been labelled ‘shameful’ by pundits while UEFA may also punish the Premier League club.
Simeone led La Liga champions Atletico to a famous win in Manchester on Tuesday, with the visitors securing a victory to go through 2-1 on aggregate.
Tempers boiled over on and off the pitch, with the Red devils’ players growing increasingly frustrated by Atletico’s tactics and supporters aiming abuse at the Spanish side and their manager.
After Atletico Madrid’s place in the Champions League quarter-finals was confirmed, Simeone ran down the touchline in the direction of the tunnel, only to be pelted by some drinks and other objects from the home supporters.
Asked if he was aware of the missiles thrown by furious United fans, Simeone said: ‘No, when I came off the pitch, I ran because I was happy and I like to enjoy it in the dressing room.
‘So I don’t know what happened. What you just said, all I was thinking about was getting into the changing room to the dressing room, and I was really happy.’
On Atletico’s display, Simeone added: ‘I’m happy. So many people work hard so we can have these moments. It was a brilliant effort from the lads, one of our best games this season.
‘We started with a 5-3-2 then changed to a 5-4-1 with Antoine Griezmann on the right of midfield and Renan Lodi growing more and more on the left.
‘Lodi’s doing really well. He had to wait a long time [to get in the side], but football is marvellous because when you train hard and are ready to go, there’s always a chance for you.
‘The defence were brilliant and Jan Oblak helped us remain calm throughout. It was a real team effort.’
